Patrick Marley for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:

In a dramatic turnaround, an attorney reviewing the 2020 election for Assembly Republicans on Thursday canceled interviews with mayors and city clerks and backed off on subpoenas he issued to them days ago. 

Former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman over the last week demanded the officials give him every election record they have and sit for interviews with him this month. The request comprised hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of pages of records. 

On Thursday, Gableman reversed course and said the officials for now do not need to come in for interviews and could simply provide him with copies of records they have already made available to others under the state’s open records law. 

Gableman may later ask for additional records, according to his aide Zakory Niemierowicz.

Interviews with mayors and city clerks could be scheduled later if needed, according to Michael Haas, the city attorney for Madison. Haas said the same information had been provided by Gableman’s office to the five cities that have received subpoenas from Gableman.